Wire collecting device



June 23, 1964 w, J, Nso 3,138,342

WIRE COLLECTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Walter J.Monson ATTORNEY.

June 23, 1964 Filed Sept. 5, 1962 W. J. MANSON WIRE COLLECTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

M ME/V705. Walter J. Manson byg q M ATTORNEYS June 23, 1964 w. J. MANSON 3,138,342 WIRE COLLECTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wmvrom Walter J.Mcnson ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,138,342 WIRE COLLECTING DEVICE Walter J. Manson, South Bend, Ind., assignor to National- Standard Company, Niles, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 221,500 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-83) This invention relates to an improved device for collecting wire.

The device of the invention is particularly useful in the continuous process and apparatus for treating (and especially electroplating) wire or strip material where the wire is continuously formed into a helix of uniform coil size, which helix is horizontally supported from the inside while being rotated so as to progress axially to pass the suspended portion of the helix in and out of a series of horizontal baths positioned below the means for supporting the helix. In such processes, it has been found desirable to work with a helix of relatively small diameter during this treatment and following the treatment to expand the coils to larger size so that the treated product can be packaged in bundles of relatively large size and diameter.

In reeling treated wire coils of enlarged diameter as obtained by expanding the coils of the original helix, it has been found possible to permit the wire from the end of the enlarged helix to deposit onto a freely rotating horizontal platform as shown in my US. Patent No. 2,994,490. In such a device, the natural tendency of the coiled wire to resume its helical shape, plus the potential energy that the wire gives up when the center of gravity of the helical coil being collected is shifted from a higher to a lower position, is sufiicient to rotate the freely rotating horizontal platform. It has been found, however, that as the diameter of the expanded helix is increased, resulting in a smaller shift in the center of gravity and a decreased tendency to resume the helical shape after the coils are shifted from their horizontal axis, that a better coil is obtained if the collecting platform is positively rotated.

Among the objects of the invention therefore, is to provide a positively rotated collecting device adapted to collect and retain coils of relatively large diameter in a horizontal plane as such coils are fed from a continuously moving helical coil having a horizontal axis.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide a collecting device of the type described, which is positively rotated in synchronism with the movement of the wire helix to be wound.

The objects of the invention are attained by providing a rotating collecting platform with means to support it entirely from above and with friction gear means below the supporting means, in combination with means driven by the horizontal rotating supporting rollers for the helix for driving said friction gear means to positively rotate the platform in a predetermined angular speed ratio with respect to the angular speed of the supporting rollers.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the end of a wire treating machine to which the collecting device of the invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is a top plane view of the device as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device with the collecting platform omitted.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the means for holding the collecting platform from above.

The wire in the form of a helix is supported on a pair of parallel horizontal rollers 11 and 12. The di- 3,138,342 Patented June 23, 1964 ameter of the helical coil is relatively small while passing through the treating baths, the cast of which bath 13 is shown in FIG 1. After the wire 10 comes from the last bath 13, it is forced under roller 14 between rollers 11 and 12 so as to expand the coil to a larger diameter which is approximately the diameter desired in the collected coil. Rollers 11 and 12, as shown in FIG. 1 extend beyond the end of the last bath 13 and hold one or more coils of the enlarged helix. From the end of rollers 11 and 12 the coil is led over a pair of roller guides 20, 20', each of which comprises one roller 21 with a horizontal axis and two rollers 22 and 23 with spaced parallel vertical axes and then passes into the platform 30. The roller guides 20, 20' are supported from the end of the bath structure 13 by a pair of cantilever beams 24, 24' (only one shown in FIG. 1) held in position by the brackets 25, 26, 27. v

The platform 30 has three or more upright core parts 31, 32, 33, which converge at the top 34 along the axis of platform 30. A hook or eyelet 35 adequate to support the collecting platform and its load is secured to the top portion 34. The platform 30 is hung by means of eyelet 35 from the hook 40. The hook 40 is fixed to the friction gear means 41 which is rotatably suspended from eyelet by suitable thrust bearing means 43. Hook 40 is provided with a handle 44 so that the hook 40 and a platform 36 attached thereto, may be manually rotated. The friction gear 41, hook 40, platform 30, etc. are held in suspended position by a suitable support 50 attached to eyelet 42. The support 50 is positioned so that the friction gear 41 makes contact with at least one of the driven friction gears 61, 62.

The mechanism which supports and drives friction gears 61, 62 is held between the ends of cantilever beams 24, 24', and comprises the gear 65 driven by chain or belt 63, from the gear 64 which is atached to supporting roller 11 for the helix. Gear 65 drives shaft 66 which in turn drives a speed reduction means 67, the output of which comprises the vertical shaft 68. Shaft 68 has a gear 69 attached thereto, to which a chain or belt 70 is connected to drive friction gears 62 through gear 72. A similar gear and belt system may be employed to drive friction gear 61 although usually it is necessary to directly drive only one of friction gears 61 or 62 through the shaft 68. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the friction gears 61, 62 are fixed to shafts 76, 77 respectively, which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 80, 81 and 82, 83 respectively.

In operation, the wire helix of relatively small diameter coming from bath 13 and supported on rollers 11 and 12, is forced under roller 14 positioned between rollers 11 and 12 to expand the diameter of the helix. One or more turns of the expanded helix are supported on the ends of rollers 11, 12 and thence led to guides 20, 20'. From guide 20 the wire passes onto platform 30 which is held by friction gear 41, and simultaneously rotated by said gear 41. When platform 30 is filled, the wire 10 is cut, a suitable transporting device is moved under platform 30 to lift it olf of hook 40 and another platform is moved into place on hook 40.

Although gears 61, 62 and 41 are shown as friction gears, they can as well be toothed gears. The ratio of angular speed of the platform 30 with respect to the rate of movement of the wire 10 can be changed by changing one or more of gears 64, 65, 69 or 72, or, if desired, one adjustable speed reduction device may be selected as the device 67.

The features and principles underlying the invention described above in connection with specific exemplification will suggest to those skilled in the art many other modifications thereof. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims shall not be limited to any specific feature or details thereof.

I claim:

1. A device for collecting relatively stiff wire which has the form of a travelling horizontal helix which is rotated and made to travel by a p'airof rotating horizontal supporting rollers, comprising a first gear means having a vertical axis,

supporting means for said first gear means to support the later axially from the upper end thereof,

thrust bearing means rotatably connecting said first gear means to its supporting means,

axially arranged means at the lower end of said first gear means adapted to provide a connection to a collecting means,

a. collecting means having a lower horizontal collecting platform and upwardly extending supports therefor converging to the axis thereof,

means connecting the converged supports of said connecting means to said means at the lower endof said first means,

at least one second gear means mounted to rotate on a vertical axis,

A. means comprising a speed reducing device to drive said second gear means from a horizontal supporting roller for said horizontal wire helix, means to guide the helix as it comes from said sup- 5 porting rollers onto said collecting platform,

said supporting means for the, first gear means being positioned to force contact between the first and second gear means.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second gear means are friction gears.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein two second gear means are mounted to rotate on vertical axes, the two second gear means being substantially parallel, having their axes substantially equally spaced from the axis of said first gear means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 2,863,615 Kenmore et a1 Dec. 9, 1958 2,949,250 Manson Aug. 16, 1960 2,994,490 Manson Aug. 1, 1960 

1. A DEVICE FOR COLLECTING RELATIVELY STIFF WIRE WHICH HAS THE FORM OF A TRAVELLING HORIZONTAL HELIX WHICH IS ROTATED AND MADE TO TRAVEL BY A PAIR OF ROTATING HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING ROLLERS, COMPRISING A FIRST GEAR MEANS HAVING A VERTICAL AXIS, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID FIRST GEAR MEANS TO SUPPORT THE LATER AXIALLY FROM THE UPPER END THEREOF, THRUST BEARING MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID FIRST GEAR MEANS TO ITS SUPPORTING MEANS, AXIALLY ARRANGED MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST GEAR MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A CONNECTION TO A COLLECTING MEANS, A COLLECTING MEANS HAVING A LOWER HORIZONTAL COLLECTING PLATFORM AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING SUPPORTS THEREFOR CONVERGING TO THE AXIS THEREOF, MEANS CONNECTING THE CONVERGED SUPPORTS OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS TO SAID MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST MEANS, AT LEAST ONE SECOND GEAR MEANS MOUNTED TO ROTATE ON A VERTICAL AXIS, MEANS COMPRISING A SPEED REDUCING DEVICE TO DRIVE SAID SECOND GEAR MEANS FROM A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING ROLLER FOR SAID HORIZONTAL WIRE HELIX, MEANS TO GUIDE THE HELIX AS IT COMES FROM SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS ONTO SAID COLLECTING PLATFORM, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE FIRST GEAR MEANS BEING POSITIONED TO FORCE CONTACT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND GEAR MEANS. 